Client
Profiles
 Nanuben started life as an
agricultural labourer in village Mehsana district of Gujarat. She and her husband both
were earning Rs.3 per day. But due to irregular work, they decided to migrate to Ahmedabad
city in want of work.
They entered in Ahmedabad
in 1978 with Rs.7 in their pocket. Luckily her grandfather had one small hut in a slum on
the river bank which he gave them to stay at a rent of Rs.5 per month. Nanuben joined her
mother in the business of old-clothes, going from house to house with a basket of new
utensils in exchange of old clothes from house wives.
She and her husband also
learnt sewing/stitching so that they could repair the clothes brought in exchange of
utensils and sell them at good price. They learnt it from their neighbour by paying fees
of Rs. 125 for 6 months.
 At the time
she was introduced to SEWA bank, by Chandaben, one of the leaders of their community and a
long time member. Nanuben took a loan of Rs.500 in year 1978, out of which she bought a
basket of Rs.125, some aluminium utensils worth Rs.125 and bought some food grains and oil
etc. for consumption.
She made a profit of
Rs.400 out of this small investment which she employed in business alongwith a second loan
of Rs.1500. Thereafter, she kept on repaying one loan and taking another loan, using the
loan money and profit from business to buy a house, household furniture, investing in gold
and silver, marrying her daughter and saving in bank.
"We were living in a
hut and were eating only once a day, sleeping on floor, when we came to Ahmedabad, now we
have a pucca house, with bed and fan in house, stock for food-grains, groundnut oil,
spices and soaps and match boxes. Earlier I was washing and repairing all the clothes to
myself. Now we have employed one tailor who repairs clothes and washerman comes daily to
my house for collecting clothes for washing."
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